The long road home
by MaryFriends
Summary: After their trip to Las Vegas, Ross and Rachel have no other choise but to return home in Phoebe's taxi. Will this trip go smoothly or the opposite as they dread?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! Apparently I'm back! I haven't written narrative texts in a long time so I have lost a little fluency in writing…I hope it gets better with practise. **

**This fic will be somehow like my first one 'TOW the ski trip', which means The beginning will be a portion of an episode: 'TO After Vegas' and then it's all new; my own alternative continuation to the end of season 5. **

**Reminder: English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for the possible mistakes you may find. **

…**.**

**CHAPTER 1**

Ross and Rachel entered the restaurant of their Las Vegas hotel completely oblivious to the events that had taken place the night before.

"Hey!" Both of them greeted their friends as they took seat at the table. Rachel nonchalantly poured them both some coffee under the attentive stare of the gang.

"What?" Ross asked, confused by the weird look on his friends' faces.

"Are we gonna talk about what you guys did last night? Or…" Chandler commented in his particular sarcastic tone. Ross and Rachel looked at each other, trying not to freak out.

"I-I don't know." Rachel spoke. "What do you mean 'last night'? Nothing, nothing uh, happened last night." A nervous chuckle left her mouth.

"Yeah!" Ross quickly added.

"Uh-huh! Ross invited us all to watch." Phoebe said.

"What's the matter with you!" Rachel exclaimed as she turned to Ross rather stunned.

"Rach! We weren't gonna miss our friends getting married!" Monica intervened. Rachel gasped in surprise.

"Who got married?!" She exclaimed and looked at Ross who seemed as surprised to hear this as her.

"…You did." Chandler said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?! Hello! We didn't get married." Ross chuckled.

"No, we didn't get married! That's ridiculous!" Rachel added also chuckling. They turned to look at each other and let out a gasp of surprise as they suddenly remembered that they **did** in fact get married.

"Wait…I remember being in a chapel." Ross said, pressing his eyes with his fingers as to recall the events of the night before.

"Oh my God." Rachel mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

"I—They would not let us get married when we were that drunk!?"

"They let you get married when you're drunk! Most people who get married in Vegas **are** drunk!" Joey replies.

"Hell, I'm drunk right now!" Phoebe exclaimed, making all her friends turn and look at her. "What? I can't have a mimosa with breakfast?! I'm on vacation!"

"What are you guys gonna do?" Monica asked.

"Well, I guess we will just find a divorce lawyer?" Rachel answered looking at Ross for support.

"Well, I think, I think, Ross already has one. Now, this one's free, right? Because you paid for the first two, so the third one's free." Chandler joked, earning himself a stare of anger from Ross.

"Laugh it up, but the joke's on you. Because we don't need to get divorced, okay? We we're just gonna get an annulment."

"An annulment? Ross!" Joey quickly intervened. "I don't think surgery's the answer here." Everyone at the table eyed him in disbelief but decided not to comment.

"Oh-oh, that's your thing." Phoebe broke the silence and pointed at Ross.

"What?"

"Your thing. Your thing. Y'know? You're the guy who gets divorced."

**"**Oh yeah!" the rest agreed.

"No-no, that's-that's not my thing!" He exclaimed offended "I do not love getting divorced!"

"Yes you do! This is your third divorce! You love divorce so much you're probably gonna marry it! Then it won't work out and you're gonna have to divorce it, divorcing guy." Phoebe said laughing; the only laughter heard among the table. "I'm so drunk." She stated after feeling a dozen of eyes fixed on her.

"Have you considered calling the book of Guinness records? 'cause you must've a broken some kind of a record here" Chandler added, getting on Ross' nerves.

"Enough with this, we're gonna solve this situation right now, C'mon Rachel" he said, getting up from his seat and grabbing Rachel by her arm.

(…..)

"It is closed" Rachel said, turning the door knob that led to the chapel's lobby.

"It can't be closed"

"Well, it is"

"Let me try" Ross said as he pushed her aside. Rachel folded her arms as she quietly watched Ross turn the knob several times until he gave up. "Damn it! If they're gonna close the chapel they should at least put up a notice! What kind of service is this" He complained as he tried one more time. Rachel stared at him.

"You done?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay, Why…Why don't we go ask in reception, they must be informed about the priest's schedule"

"Good idea" Ross said before making his way towards the reception. Rachel followed Ross close behind, silence standing between them. She had a weird sensation in her stomach that she couldn't place; perhaps it was due to the uncontrolled amount of alcohol she had indulged the night before and had yet to leave her system, or maybe just the fact of suddenly realising she was married to…Ross.

"May I help you, Sir?" a woman in an impeccable dark blue skirt suit politely asked.

"Yes, we- we would like to know where we could find the priest, the chapel seems to be closed"

"It is closed during the day; the priest's shift doesn't start until 8pm"

"Excuse me? What kind of chapel is that?"

"Shh Ross, calm down"

"A Vegas one, Sir" The receptionist said with a permanent smile. "But if you're so eager to get marry I will be glad to write down your names and put you next on the waiting-"

"Oh no, no, no, no…" Rachel quickly stopped her. "Actually, we would like to talk to the priest because we need to get an annulment" Ross nodded profusely. "You see…we were VERY drunk last night, we truly didn't know what we were getting ourselves into" Rachel cleared up. The receptionist smiled at them, with a look that showed she had heard that story thousands of times before.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with that, the priest should be here around seven if you desire to speak with him"

"That's alright, thank you" Rachel politely said as they began to walk back towards the restaurant.

"7pm? Our plane leaves at 4! We cannot wait that long"

"Then we'll have to get the annulment back home"

"No way, we need to get that annulment before leaving; otherwise the guys will be mocking me till god knows when"

"They always mock you anyway" Rachel naively said, but her comment didn't sit well with Ross, whose serious stare began to strangle Rachel's throat. "wha…What do you suggest then? The woman already told us the priest won't be here til tonight"

"….maybe we can go see him at his house, they could give us his address!" He exclaimed as he turned around towards the desk but Rachel grabbed his arm before he could go any farther.

"Are you crazy! What are you a stalker all of a sudden? Calm down and think clearly because your ideas seem taken right out of Joey's head"

"but-"

"But nothing, Can we sort this out later? You pulled me out of the restaurant and I'm starving" Rachel reproached him and then resumed her way towards the hotel's restaurant before he could pronounce another word.

(….)

Back in the restaurant everybody had finished their meal and were enjoying a cup of coffee while Ross explained their situation.

"Why don't you guys change your plane tickets and return to New York with us tomorrow?" Monica suggested.

"Or you could come with us!" Phoebe exclaimed cheerfully. "It'd be a fun trip the four of us in the taxi playing car games, oh oh yes come with us!"

"Yeah…I think we'll go with Chandler and Monica…you see, Rachel returns to work on Wednesday"

"He's right" Rachel quickly added. Crossing the country in Phoebe's taxi…that would near the definition of torture. She thought to herself.

"Whatever, you'll be sorry for missing…the trip of your life" She said, putting emphasis in the last words as her eyes widened. The gang remained silent looking at one another, until Joey broke the tense atmosphere with the squeaking of his chair.

"Joey, you can't take the plate with you" Monica warned him.

"But I'm not leaving, I'm gonna refill my plate with mashed potatoes" The girls observed stunned how he walked to the buffet and eagerly filled his plate again.

"Okay, that's the forth plate he's bringing to the table" Rachel commented.

"Are you actually surprised? This is Joey we are talking about, he eats three family-size pizzas every Friday" Chandler said of his long-time roommate, if someone truly knew Joey that was him.

"Still, that stomach must have a limit"

"He hasn't found it yet. By the way Pheebs" Chandler continued. "It wouldn't be such a bad idea if you bought some adult diapers; you know…all that food has to come out" The three girls pulled a face of deep revulsion while Ross slowly returned the coffee to its spot on the table.

"Ew gross!" Monica exclaimed. Chandler laughed.

"You're lucky you don't live with Joey. You cannot imagine how many mornings I've gone into the bath-"

"Stop it!" Rachel and Monica yelled out at unison. "Do not dare to finish that sentence" Monica added with a threatening look on her eyes.

"O-kay" he said taken aback.

"So…what are you guys gonna do?" Monica asked with her eyes closed and slightly shaking her head to sweep off the unpleasant image her boyfriends had put in her mind. Ross and Rachel shared a look.

"I guess…I'll call the airline and change the tickets for tomorrow. I certainly do not want to return without sorting this out first" Rachel let out a puff of air. She did not agree with that.

"But why?" she asked, turning her body to him "we are gonna get that annulment, what does it matter whether it is here or in New York?"

"I cannot go back home being married for a third time, Okay?"

"But no one will know"

"My lawyer will"

"So what" She said uncomprehending why he was so obsessed with the annulment.

"I got a divorce eight months ago; he will take me for a fool if I return with another failed marriage"

"But this is not even a marriage, it's just a big drunken mistake" Rachel tried to make him see it was not the big deal he believed it to be.

"You guys, stop." Monica intervened. "Fighting will get you nowhere. Rach, the sooner this is solved the fewer headaches it will give you so just let him do whatever he wants…" Rachel sighed as she considered Monica's words. She was right, if this whole unexpected marriage was solved in Las Vegas, she wouldn't have to worry about it back in New York and Ross would stop acting like a paranoid.

"Alright…but you're paying for the extra night" she said pointing at Ross.

"No problem"

…

"There must be a way!" Ross was almost out of himself. What he thought was the solution to his problem turned out to be an even bigger headache. Rachel stood behind Ross quietly observing the scene taking place before her eyes. She would have liked to get involved, try to help, but she had not the least idea about how annulments or divorces worked.

"Son, my job is to join souls in love into holy marriage, not taking them apart" The priest calmly repeated once again. Fifteen minutes and his words still seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Ross had come for an annulment and he was determined to get it.

"The thing is we are not in love, we do not love each other!" a pinch in her stomach. Rachel frowned at her unforeseen reaction. She knew they didn't love each other…not as they used to. Why that strange feeling?

"I'm truly sorry but as I mentioned before, you require a lawyer to deal with your problem" Ross was about to speak again but Rachel soon grabbed his arm and pulled of him.

"Ross, quit it." Rachel said. "He made it clear what his position is"

"I know but-"

"But we're gonna take care of this back home as we should've" she hissed. "Thanks for your attention father. Have a nice day" Rachel said with a polite smile, which he returned, and forcefully pulled Ross out of the chapel.

"You need to stop acting like a child Ross" She tried to sound calm so as not to enrage him more. His eyes were downcast, feeling a bit ashamed of his behaviour. He himself didn't understand why he was so altered; he just couldn't stand his inner voice repeating 'three divorces' over and over with that mocking tone.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what have come over me…" Rachel suddenly felt bad for him.

"Don't worry, Everything will go back to normal when we return home" Rachel's last set out an alarm in his head. His eyes widened and his bottom lip hid between his teeth.

"What, what happened?" Rachel asked, noticing his uneasiness.

"…There's something I forgot to tell you"

"What is it" she asked with a stare, already aware that bad news were coming her way.

"I phoned the airline and…I don't know what happened but…I couldn't change the tickets."

"Did you buy an unchangeable ticket?" she asked through her teeth; her hands resting on her hips in a hostile position as she waited for his obvious answer.

"I might have…" It was almost inaudible but enough for Rachel to explode in rage.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "And we missed our flight! Why didn't you tell me before? Gosh! What's up with you today!"

"I'm sorry; I was so focused on the annulment, I thought everything would be fine by now."

"You should've listened to me in the first place. What are we going to do now, huh?" She asked as she heatedly walked back and forth, one of her hands on her forehead and the other resting on her stomach. There she was, in Las Vegas, married and without a return ticket, too many problems to deal with in such a short period of time.

"We could buy new tickets…?" He softly suggested.

"Will you pay for mine? Because I can't afford another one, it's too expensive"

"I could but…there is a cheaper alternative to get home"

"Yeah, how?"

"Phoebe's taxi" He said, not quite liking the idea himself. But it was the only solution he could find.

"Phoebe's taxi…" she repeated in a soft chuckle. "You know that'll take several days…in a car…with Phoebe and Joey"

"I do know" he replied, already regretting the idea. Maybe he could spend his savings on a couple of new tickets, but it pained him to think about that amount of money that would go to waste. "I do know…but, can you come up with something cheaper than a plane ticket and better than Phoebe's taxi?" Rachel sighed helplessly, not even bothering to give it a thought.

"No…"

(….)

"Yay! I'm so happy you're coming with us" Phoebe said euphorically as she helped Ross put the suitcases inside the truck. "It's gonna be so much fun!"

"Sure it will" Rachel said under her breath.

"All set" Ross informed as he shut the truck "let's get this trip started"

"Goodbye Las Vegaaas!" Phoebe shouted making everyone around turn to look at her. Rachel covered her face in embarrassment. "Alright, get on board, Phoebe's passengers;" She said as she excitedly got on her grandmother's taxi and closed the door. "Put your seatbelt on guys, except you Joey" she said handing him a thin rope. "Here, use this as your seatbelt" Joey took it and clumsily tied it around his waist. "The pilot will proceed to take off in a few seconds. Get ready" Phoebe said with a childish giggle.

"I hope I can sleep all the way through" Ross whispered to Rachel, who was sitting next to him in the back seat.

"I bought sleep pills before leaving the hotel" she whispered back.

"Smart move"

_Thirty minutes into the trip…_

"Joey, Why are you so uneasy? You're making me nervous!" Phoebe asked as she watching Joey's weird movements from the corner of her eyes.

"I need to pee" Ross and Rachel rolled their eyes.

"This will be a looooong trip back home" Rachel helplessly told Ross.

"I'm afraid so"

…..

**So that was the first chapter. It may seem a bit fast-paced but this is just an introduction I promise it will make sense in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it and I'd like to know what your first impression was. If the fic is too bad just tell me 'stop!' **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. It makes me so happy that you're still interested in my writing. Here's the second chapter. Enjoy!**

…**.**

**CHAPTER 2**

"So Vegas was a lot of fun, huh?" Phoebe commented as she resumed the trip after the brief stop. "London should be jealous I wasn't there!"

"I liked London better," Joey muttered.

"Shush! You don't say that in my presence." Phoebe reproached offended.

"Sorry," Joey shrugged intimidated.

"You're right Pheebs, Las Vegas topped London by far, at least the bits I can remember," Rachel said in a chuckle.

"What about you, Ross? Which trip did you enjoy the most?" Phoebe glimpsed at him through the rear-view mirror.

"Well…" Ross thought for a moment. "Although both trips had rather unforeseen events…I guess I'll have to say Las Vegas, at least I didn't get kicked in the nuts there." He displayed his resignation with a soft laugh.

"That bald guy from the plane was close though" Rachel commented as she held a small laugh.

"See, Vegas always wins" Phoebe said triumphal. "Oh!, you know what've just realised, Ross? You got married in both London and Las Vegas! Isn't that funny?" Ross' face suddenly changed to a sombre expression. He was hoping he wouldn't have to discuss the topic of his multiple weddings until he were face to face with his lawyer, a moment that he was particularly dreading. "And" Phoebe went on. "In Vegas you got married with the woman whose name you said at your London wedding! Your life is way better than any soap opera you can find on TV." Phoebe pointed out.

"Ha-ha not funny at all," Ross said, trying to conceal his annoyance.

"Oh, c'mon, you've got to admit it is kind of comical" Rachel said as tenderly as she could, knowing that Ross took the issue quite seriously.

"Yeah, besides, three more divorces and you'll beat Larry King in his divorce record" Phoebe added wittily, but only Rachel shared a giggle.

"I'm glad you guys find amusement in my uncommon marital life but I would appreciate it if you reserved any comments or jokes to yourselves." His serious voice dissipated the laughter.

"O-kay, if you're gonna get so upset about it we'd better shut up," Rachel said with a discrete roll of eyes.

"I simply don't want to be reminded of my three divorces, Okay?"

"Two divorces, one annulment" Rachel cleared up.

"To me it's the same thing"

"That's your problem then"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying you're making it a bigger deal than it actually is, you're not the first person to get divorced for a third time, Ross."

"It's not about the number of divorces anyway" Rachel frowned confused.

"What is it about, then?" His lips split as though prepared to answer but no sound came out of them.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter," He finally said, moving his eyes away from her. Rachel stared at him. She wondered what was in his mind that he didn't want to share.

"Let's play twenty questions, yes?" Phoebe finally broke the awkward silence that was rising among them. "Joey, Do you wanna start?" she asked hopeful, but all she got was loud snores. "When did he fall asleep?" Both Ross and Rachel shrugged.

_A few hours later…_

"Where are we?" Rachel mumbled as she rubbed her eyes with her fingers having just woken up from a not very comfortable nap.

"Utah" Phoebe replied.

"Still? Ugh it will take forever to get home" she lamented as she sat straight and massaged the tense muscles of her neck.

"Hey! Now that you're awake let's play twenty questions again!"

"Pheebs, I think we killed that game already."

"No we didn't, plus I'm the driver, you gotta please the driver if you wanna get home."

"Why don't you play with Joey?" She asked hopeful, but a loud snore was heard in front of her. "He's still asleep?"

"Yes"

"Wake him up, he's been sleeping since we left Nevada"

"But he looks so adorable, I can't do that" Phoebe said, tenderly looking at a sleeping Joey from the corner of her eyes.

"I'll do it" Rachel declared as she leaned forward and started to shake Joey's shoulder. "Joe, Joey, wake up! Quickly!"

"What, what!" he cried out giving a jolt. The sudden movement had dragged him out of a profound sleep and left him in a state of disorientation.

"Look quickly! The man with the bee beard! Did you see it?" Rachel exclaimed pointing out a random spot in the landscape passing by.

"Where!?" Joey exclaimed excited as he glued his face to the window. "Where is he!?"

"He was right there near the bushes, aw, Did you not see him?" Rachel said with faked sadness.

"Oh man! I can't believe I missed it again!" He expressed his disappointment as he flopped back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"Aw honey, don't be sad, There will be plenty of freaky stuff to see along the way."

"But I wanted to see the beard of bees! How long was it?" Rachel wrinkled her nose.

"mmmh…average" she quickly made up. "Why don't you play a game with Pheebs? That will cheer you up"

"Okay…" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"There you go," She told Phoebe with a grin and sat back with relief.

"How about 'I spy'?" Joey suggested.

"Yeah! I start!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with M."

"…Mouse?"

"No…"

"…Microwave?"

"huh? No!"

"Oh! I got it! Museum."

"Do you even know how to play?"

"Of course I do, Is it…Mozzarella?"

"Ugh, forget it, let's play twenty questions"

Rachel closed her eyes and rested her head on the seat headrest. She tried to block her friends' voices to fall back into slumber. However, a movement next to her caught her attention and she reopened her eyes to find Ross fully awake and staring out the window. He had a strange look in his face, as if his head was dealing with a dilemma.

"Hey, I thought you were sleeping," Rachel told him in a low voice, aware that if Phoebe heard them talk she would make them join in the game again.

"I can't sleep," He replied. His eyes still fixed somewhere far in the horizon.

"Why? Is…everything okay? You've been very quiet," She asked trying not to sound too worried but she knew something was bothering him and their wedding might be involved.

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Ross I'm sorry about before, we shouldn't have make fun of-"

"It's okay" he cut her off mid sentence. He looked at her for a brief moment and gave her a smile to prove he was fine but Rachel did not believe him for a second. Nonetheless, she did not insist. She knew he would open up when he found the proper moment.

(…)

"Watch the cab, I need to use the toilet" Phoebe said as she strode towards the restroom.

"Sure, Where is Joey?" Rachel asked but Phoebe was already too afar to hear her question.

"I think he went to get some snacks" Ross, who was standing behind her, replied instead. Rachel turned around and thanked his answer with a smile.

"Hey, Do you think Monica and Chandler are back in New York?"

"I suppose."

"I'm gonna phone and check, I need Monica to do me a favour," Rachel said as he made her way towards the phone booth. Ross observed from his spot how Rachel dialled the number and impatiently tapped the floor with one of her foot. His eyes hardly blinked, not wanting to miss one of her movements, or the expressions on her face or her slim fingers twisting a strand of her hair so sensually. It had been a long time since he last stopped to truly admire her beauty, her persona, and now he found himself trapped under her spell.

A few minutes later Rachel hung up the phone and walked back to Ross with a sweet smile. Ross quickly cleared his throat and looked away hoping she hadn't caught him staring.

"Done," She said when she reached him.

"Good, Wh-what favour did you need, anyway?" He asked as nonchalantly as possible but the truth was he was nervous. He needed to talk to her before their friends returned.

"Nothing, just some work-related stuff." Ross nodded at her answer. He then scanned the gas station looking for his friends but luckily they were still out of sight.

"Listen…Can we talk? I need to tell you something before the guys come." Rachel arched her eyebrows inquisitively.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I've been thinking about this whole wedding thing and…I don't want to get an annulment," He quickly said before he could lose his nerve. Rachel smiled amused.

"So you want to get a divorce after all? You really are a box of surprises."

"No, not a divorce either." Rachel frowned trying to deduce whether he was serious or mocking her in return for her jokes before.

"Are you implying we should stay married?"

"Yes" He concisely said. Rachel let out a nervous laugh.

"You know, your jokes used to be funnier."

"I'm not joking; I'm not getting an annulment nor a divorce." Her whole body froze in shock. However, she wasn't able to react to Ross' ultimatum since Phoebe and Joey had already returned.

"Okay guys, let's keep going," Phoebe said as she walked past them but she immediately stopped in her tracks, having sensed the cutting tension that surrounded her friends. "Wow, what's going on here? The tension almost threw me backwards" She asked concerned while she plucked at the air in an attempt to disperse the bad energy. Ross, who had been avoiding Rachel's eyes since he dropped the bomb, lifted his gaze and faked a smile.

"Nothing" He simple said as he turned around to get in the car. Rachel, still astounded, drew some air into her lungs to control the rising fury and silently entered the cab. Phoebe and Joey shared a look of disconcert. Five minutes went by in utter silence, only broken by the noise that the cab's motor emitted.

"Have you GONE insane!?" Rachel finally exploded, startling Phoebe and Joey with her sudden yell. Ross met her fuming eyes.

"I'm not insane and could you yell a like bit lower?"

"Will anyone tell me what the hell happened during the five minutes I spent in the restroom?" Phoebe interrupted.

"Do you wanna know? Well, the mister right here, to crown this unforgettable weekend, decided he wants to stay married. ha!"

"Will you let me explain?"

"Explain what? I really doubt there is one convincing argument to support this crazy idea of yours."

"I'm sure this will interest you."

"Really? Okay, speak," she sarcastically said as she folded her arms and waited to hear his reasons.

"For example, we can get huge discounts on car insurance" Rachel frowned.

"I don't even have a car."

"Being married can also reduce your taxes and health insurance is much cheaper!"

"I don't care about any of that!" Ross exhaled heavily. He was running out of reasons.

"Why are you being so irrational?" He complained.

"I AM being irrational? You're the one who wants to stay in a marriage which can hardly be considered as such."

"Hey guys look! Doesn't that cloud resemble a warthog?" Phoebe said pointing at the sky, attempting to distract her friends but she was completely ignored.

"That's right, it's not a marriage, what does it matter whether we annul it or not." Ross kept trying to convince her.

"It does matter!"

"Where is the warthog Pheebs? I can't find it," Joey asked looking up at the sky. Phoebe gave him a nudge.

"I was lying, do something and hush these two" She ordered him.

"Chocolates, anyone?" Joey offered as he held out a handful of chocolate bars but just like Phoebe's attempt, he got no response.

"You know, Ross? I don't understand you. First you cannot wait to get the damn annulment that you make us miss our flight and get us stuck in this cab for god knows how long and now, you've drastically changed your mind to the opposite! Did you hit your head the other night?"

"Stop treating me like I'm crazy. I'm sure you'd feel different if you were in my shoes."

"I don't think so. Besides, you're just thinking about your reputation, but what if you, one day, meet the love of your life and want to marry her, huh?" As soon as she asked the question a deafening silence fell between them. She noticed how the light of his eyes changed, as if her question had stirred something within him. She somehow felt the sorrow she perceived in his eyes, but refused you ask herself why.

"…You're right. I…I hadn't thought of that," He said in a low, almost inaudible voice.

"I think you two should stay married," Phoebe said out of the blue, getting both their attention.

"See?" Ross sent her a victorious smile, erasing the previous seconds from his mind.

"Phoebe!" Rachel scolded her.

"What? You belong together." Ross and Rachel met gazes in silence.

(…)

"We were on a break!" Ross cried out.

"That is not valid excuse for cheating!"

"Oh, good lord! Take these two before I lose my mind" Phoebe implored to the sky in exasperation. It had been two hours and the quarrel hadn't ceased. If anything, it had gotten even worse with Phoebe's intrusion. "Joey, help" Phoebe asked helplessly.

"I've already tried but they won't listen. Why did I not bring earplugs!" Joey desperately exclaimed.

"We were broken up! If you hadn't pronounced those stupid words perhaps none of this would've happened."

"So you're putting the blame on me now? How sweet!" She sarcastically said.

"Alright, that's it." Phoebe said as she jammed on the brakes. "Get off my taxi," she demanded. Ross and Rachel looked at each other, completely taken aback.

"What?" They both said.

"Get OFF my taxi" She repeated a bit louder.

"You're kidding, right?" Ross said in a nervous chuckle.

"GET OFF MY TAXIIIIII" The words came out of her mouth as a sudden blaze. Ross and Rachel got off the cab as fast as they could, not wanting to anger her more than she already was. Without delay, Phoebe pressed the accelerator and sped away, leaving them beyond astonished. They stood motionless in the middle of the road, watching in shock how Phoebe's cab drove away.

"She'll return for us…won't she?" Rachel mumbled, her eyes wide open in disbelief.

"I hope so," Ross muttered as stunned.

….

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are highly appreciated. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**I know it's been forever since I last updated. I'm so sorry, life has been very busy lately, but I've finally managed to finish this third chapter. Hopefully there are still people interested in this story. Here you go!**

…**..**

**CHAPTER 3**

"Oh my god! She's not coming back, Ross! Do something!" Rachel started to freak out.

"What?"

"Run!" She shouted giving him a shove. Ross looked at her bewildered but immediately sprinted away. Rachel nervously glanced at her surrounds; a dusty, dry land extended about her, only the blue color of the sky seemed to give some life to that deserted place.

"O-kay, I do not want to stay here by myself." She said to no one in particular as she began to fasten her pace "Ross, wait!" She cried out.

Ross gave up running. The cab had already disappeared behind the slope and it was humanly impossible to reach it. They stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the empty road.

"They abandoned us." Rachel murmured in total disbelief a few seconds later.

"Yup…That's what it seems like." Ross muttered as astounded.

…..

"Ohh, finally some precious silence." Phoebe exhaled in relief.

"Pheebs! Are you really gonna abandon them there?" Joey asked concerned looking through the back window. Their friends now looked like two blurry black dots in a dusty background.

"Of course not, I have everything planned out." Phoebe answered with a mysterious grin.

"What do you have planned?" Joey inquired.

"Patience my friend, you'll have to wait and see Phoebe perform her magic." She said, adding a loud, wicked laughter.

…

"I CANNOT believe that hippie stranded us in the middle of nowhere! I'm gonna kill her! I am!" Rachel exploited in rage.

"Rach, calm down."

"How am I going to calm down? Look around, this place is desert!" She brought her hands to her head; her eyes wide open as visions of possible death sceneries filled her mind. "Oh my god, we're going to die here Ross, we are going to die from hunger, or thirst, or or eaten by-"

"Rachel." Ross stopped and placed his hands on her shoulders to meet her eyes. "Everything's gonna be fine, there are cars passing by every few minutes. Someone will help us."

"A car…that's even worse, what if we get into one and the driver turns out to be a kidnapper, or a murderer?" Ross stared at her suspiciously.

"Have you been smoking?" Rachel gasped.

"Those things do happen! Don't you watch the news?"

"Okay Rach, look at me." He demanded. Rachel obeyed and met his gaze. Her breathing was accelerated and her hands trembling. "You're freaking out." She breathed deeply. His hazel eyes managed to soothe her a bit.

"I'm not freaking out….I'm very, very mad." Rachel justified herself in a softer tone of voice.

"Just calm down, it is pointless to be mad right now; we need to figure out how to get…somewhere."

"Yeah, let's do that soon, because I don't know if you've noticed but the sun is setting."

"Let's keep walking then. I think there is a motel a couple of miles away."

"How do you know?"

"I saw a sign."

"Oh, good!"

"C'mon." They resumed their way in complete silence. Rachel walked absentmindedly, kicking the rocks that her feet came across with. She tried to keep her mind off the bizarre situation they were living but she failed. They were thousands of miles away from home, even far away from the closest civilization, and without luggage.

Ross stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"What?" Rachel inquired concerned.

"Do you hear that?" Rachel froze on her spot, hearing hard the sound of wheels rasping the road reached her ears.

"It's a car!" She exclaimed with a hint of relief.

"C'mon, move forward and raise your thumb when it gets closer." Ross encouraged as he gave her a little push.

"Wait, why me?!" Rachel reproached.

"Because you're a woman, women always give a better impression when hitchhiking."

"Yeah right!"

"C'mon, Don't you wanna get out of here?!" Rachel stared at him as she reluctantly raised her hand.

"You know what, It's your fault that we are here so YOU do it." She said, quickly hiding behind him and pushing him forward, which almost cause him to stumble.

"MY fault?"

"Yeah!"

"How is that?"

"Well, If you hadn't come up with that insane idea of yours we would still be in that cab on our way to New York!"

"No no, you're mistaken there. IF you had acted as a civilized person about the whole thing and not as a-" Ross couldn't finish his sentence since his voice was blocked by the noise of a car passing by. "Awesome." Ross said sarcastically. Rachel groaned in frustration as she saw her only hope escape in that car. "See what you did?" Rachel's eyes widened with indignation.

"Excuse me? You were the one who brought up the topic and distracted us."

"because you put the blame on me when I certainly do not deserve it."

"But it was your fault."

"No it was not!"

"Yes it was!"

"You know what, It is clear we don't agree with each other so let's not mention the matter again until we arrive home. Deal?" Rachel sighed.

"Deal."

…

"Hi" Phoebe cheerfully said to the voluminous, bald man in the reception.

"Hello" The man responded in a dry tone, not moving a single muscle of his face.

"Hello" Phoebe repeated in his same seriousness. "I would like to rent a room, please." He nodded his head and slowly moved towards the small cabinet where the keys were kept. He grabbed one and heavily placed it on the counter.

"Twenty-five dollars." Phoebe pulled out a couple of bills, which the man took right away startling Phoebe.

"um…I don't know if I should ask you for a favor but…A couple of friends are coming right behind us, Could you give them the room next to ours?" The man nodded his head, his face as emotionless as before. "And, Could you please not mention our presence? We want to give them a little surprise." He nodded his head once again, his eyes showing a bit of exasperation.

"Okay, thanks." Phoebe quickly said and moved away. "Joey?" She called out, not finding her friend by her side.

"Over here!" Phoebe turned around and walked in his direction.

"What are you doing?" She asked her friend, who was kneeling on the floor, one of his hands buried inside a vending machine.

"Getting some food, there is no restaurant in here!" He exclaimed as if it were the most implausible thing in the world.

"Okay, but hurry up, the guys may come in any minute now." She warned. Joey stood up, his hands full of chocolate bars and sandwiches.

"Ready!"

…

"Maybe we should keep walking." Rachel suggested, gripping Ross' arm tighter.

"Why?"

"This place looks creepy."

"It's a road motel, were you expecting a resort?" Ross chuckled at her childish fear as he pushed the door open and walked to the reception.

"Hello"

"Good evening, sir." The bald man impassively said.

"We would like to rent a double room, please."

"Double room?" Rachel remarked the first word.

"Fine, two single rooms, but you are paying for yours."

"Fine."

"Thirty dollars each." The man said as he placed both keys on the counter and grabbed the money.

…..

"I think they are coming!" Phoebe whispered, her right ear glued to the wooden door. Joey frowned as he also pressed the side of his face up against the door.

"I don't hear anything."

"SHHH!" Phoebe scolded him.

"_So, ten thirty tomorrow morning? And then we decide what to do?"_

"_Sure."_

"_Okay, good night then."_

"_If that's possible..." She sighed "Good night Ross."_

"Ha! They got single rooms, just as I thought!"

"And? I don't understand anything, Pheebs. What's the plan?"

"The plan is, my dear trainee, getting these two together in one room."

"That's it?" He moved away from the door and unwrapped one of his numerous chocolate bars. "I'm sorry Pheebs but I was expecting something more elaborate from you." He took a big bite and turned the tv on, having lost interest in Phoebe's plan.

"Are you questioning my methods?!"

"No no no…I'm sure it's a wonderful idea, just…how is putting these two together in a room gonna work? They've been together before and nothing has happened."

"I know they've been together before, but somehow we were always in the middle. This time they are completely alone, or so they think, you'll see that by tomorrow morning these two can't get their hands off each other."

"I don't know…" Joey hesitated.

"If you keep sending negative vibes to my plan, Joey Tribbiani, I'm gonna kick you out of this room!"

"Alright, alright, I won't!" He quickly said, intimidated by Phoebe's threat. "What do I have to do?" She smiled proudly.

"First, You go knock on Ross' door, I'll knock on Rachel's, but do it fast, if they see us we're screwed."

"Noted" Joey whispered as he followed Phoebe out the room. They positioned themselves in front of each door and counting to three their fists hit the doors a few times. They quickly tiptoed back to their room trying to contain their laughter.

"Now what?" Joey murmured as he mimicked Phoebe's position on the door.

"Just listen!" A few seconds later both doors got open.

"_What" _Ross asked. Rachel looked sideways and shrugged confused.

"_What, what?" _

"_You knocked on my door, What do you want?"_

"_mmh, it was you who knocked on my door." _She folded her arms, getting even more confused.

"_Rach…It's been a long day, I'm not in the mood for silly games." _She gasped indignant.

"_Then don't knock on my door!" _She retorted slamming the door shut.

"Told you it wouldn't work."

"I'm not done! We must focus on Rachel, she is easier to scare."

"Scare her? Why?"

"because she won't want to sleep alone and she'll look for Ross, Don't you see it?"

"Oh right."

Rachel stood in the middle of the bathroom; looking around in disgust and silently wishing Monica were there. She moved closer to the sink and gazed at her reflection in the scratched mirror. Where were they? Utah? Colorado? Everything seemed too surreal to be happening. Phoebe suddenly entered her mind and her teeth automatically clenched. How could she have done that to them, her friends? She was aware of Phoebe's crazy behaviour but stranding them in the middle of nowhere was over the line.

Rachel returned to the bedroom trying to conceal her rising anger. She was about to unmake the bed when a scrap of paper lying by the door caught her attention. She unfolded it and smiled amused.

"_Dear Rachel Green, we've been watching you. We don't like your presence and want you out of this room before midnight or things will get too spooky. You've been warned. Signed: Ghost" _

She chuckled as she rolled her eyes at Ross' stupid prank. Immediately, she covered the small distance that separated their rooms and knocked on his door still laughing.

"Did you actually think I would buy this?" She said as soon as he opened the door. Ross frowned looking confused at the piece of paper she was holding.

"Huh?"

"If you wanted to scare me you have to try harder than this."

"What are you talking about?" he grabbed the paper and briefly looked at it. "I didn't write this."

"Yeah right, I thought you weren't 'in the mood for silly games'" She imitated his tone.

"I am not and I did not write that."

"So, who did? You're the only person who knows my name here."

"I don't know. Perhaps it was the receptionist." He said with a shrug of shoulders.

"Yeah, 'cause he seems like the kind of guy to pull a prank on his guests…C'mon admit it was you."

"Rach, I swear it wasn't me." Rachel bit her lip feeling a bit anxious. He seemed honest in his words, but then again who would write such a thing in that lost place. It had to be him. Ross looked at her suspiciously and smiled. "I know what's going on here, you wrote it yourself because you don't want to sleep alone, am I right?"

"Ha, don't you turn the tables on me; I know you did it but whatever, good night, future ex-hubby." She stressed the last word on purpose and returned to her room fuming.

"This is not working. I think we should tell them we're here and end with this before they start arguing again." Joey said concerned as he headed for the door.

"Do NOT cross that door!"

"But Pheebs!"

"just wait a little, one more chance." She begged.

Rachel sat on the bed and stared at the wall in front of her. What was Ross doing? Was he trying to drive her crazy and infuriate her even more after such a consuming day? She shook her head in disbelief as she aimlessly grabbed her purse. She looked inside it; wallet, make-up bag, sleeping pills and a bottle of water; that was all she had. No clothes, no food…As if reading her mind, her stomach started growling. Before her increasing hunger managed to keep her awake, Rachel decided to unmake the bed and go straight to sleep, not before taking a sleeping pill.

"_Racheeeeel_" She heard a husky voice call her name. She opened her eyes to find herself in complete darkness. It took her some seconds to realise she was not dreaming. She heard the voice again. Immediately, she switched on the light and scanned the room frightened about the possibility of finding someone there. But the room was empty. Rachel chuckled at her childish fear and turned the light off. The moment she closed her eyes to drift back to sleep the voice sounded again. This time clearer and it seemed to say "_Go Away_". Scared, Rachel hit the switch and left the bed to check the bathroom. Also empty. She brought her hands to her head, was she going crazy?

She attempted to ignore the voice and go back to sleep but nothing seemed to work. Every time she closed her eyes the voice sounded louder and closer to her ear. Perhaps it was the sleeping pill that was playing tricks on her mind?

She gave up. She could not bear it anymore. She put her jeans back on, grabbed a pillow and ran towards Ross' room.

"What do you want now?" Ross said half-annoyed half-asleep as soon as he opened the door.

"Can I sleep here with you?" Rachel asked hopeful.

"Why, what happened?" he asked concerned by the scared look on her face.

"I can't sleep in that freaking room, there are voices!" Ross stared at her for a few seconds trying to figure out whether she was serious or simply joking. He let out a chuckle. Of course she was joking.

"If you do not want to be alone just say so, there is no need to make up childish excuses Rach..."

"I swear to you that room is cursed, I'm not making anything up, there are voices! And they were saying 'Rachel go away'" Ross laughed again, which really irritated Rachel. "If you don't believe me, come and you'll hear it yourself." She said grabbing his wrist but he did not move.

"Alright, alright I trust you, now come in 'cause I really wanna sleep."

"You still don't believe me, do you?" Rachel asked as she followed him inside and closed the door.

"I believe you just regret having asked for separated rooms." He mocked her before going into the bathroom.

"That is so not true!"

…

"and…mission accomplished" Phoebe proudly said. "Now let's get some sleep."

"Wait, aren't we going to spy on them some more?" he asked, still glued to the wall connected to Ross' room. "nothing has happened yet."

"No Joe, our job is done, they need some privacy now"

"Alright…so what now?"

"Just wait until tomorrow, we gotta wake up early to surprise them, I cannot wait to see their faces" Phoebe exclaimed excited.

"They'll kill you"

"It will be worth it."

….

Rachel placed her pillow on the small armchair next to the bed and tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Ross appeared back in the room. She had been so scared before that she had not noticed he was in his underwear. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep before he could catch her staring.

"What are you doing there?" Ross asked when he saw her crammed into the small armchair. She opened one eye.

"Trying to get some sleep."

"Don't be silly, get in bed." he commanded as he climbed on to the bed and wrapped himself up.

"…your bed?" she asked a bit taken aback.

"I don't see any other bed here." He shrugged.

"You don't mind?"

"No…but if it bothers you, we can switch places." He offered, ready to leave the bed but Rachel stopped him.

"No! that's okay." She timidly said. Ross made some room for her and placing her pillow near the headboard she got in.

"You're gonna sleep with your jeans on?"

"No…I was about to take them off." Rachel covered herself up and under the protective darkness of the blanket she took her jeans off. When she returned to a laying position she noticed Ross was smiling.

"What?"

"I won't see anything I haven't seen already, you know?" She sent him a death stare.

"Shut up" She lay on her back as near the edge of the bed as possible. They lay in complete silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"Shall I turn off the light?" he offered.

"Yeah." The light went off; she closed her eyes, finally feeling at peace. However, despite her attempts to fall asleep, her mind kept replaying the events of the last two days. After so many arguments and fights they ended up in a lost motel, sleeping together in a twin bed. How did that happen?

She felt him tossing until he lay on his side, facing her. She could not help but think about his almost naked body, she could already feel his body heat next to her and that was generating forbidden thoughts in her mind.

"Racheeel" Ross whispered in a ghostly voice. She blindly slapped him but silently thanked the distraction.

"I did hear voices, okay?"

"Come on, admit you just wanted to get into bed with me." He teased as he slightly caressed her cheek, something that caught Rachel out of guard.

"Oh please…and get off" She knew he was just teasing her, but she pushed his hand away "we are getting a divorce, remember? so no touching." She joked.

"Dammit!" Ross exclaimed and they shared a laugh.

"This is so surreal…" She commented, still convinced this was just a dream or a joke.

"Tell me about it…"

"Please, please tell me we are going to wake up in New York." She begged.

"I hope so."

…..

"Good morning sir, do you know, by any chance, where the people staying in room 22 and 24 are?"

"They left"

"WHAT!"

"They left" Joey repeated slowly.

"I heard! Where did they go?"

"No clue, they called a cab and left about half an hour ago."

"Oh my god, oh my god."

"What?" Asked Joey

"We're screwed…how are we gonna find them now? They will think I stranded them for real! Oh my god…"

…

**Reviews please? Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**New update! I have written this in a couple of hours so there may be a few mistakes. I hope it's still good enough for you to keep on reading.**

…

**CHAPTER 4**

"Did you get to speak to your boss?" Ross asked as Rachel returned to their table. After a three-hour cab drive to Denver they had decided to stop for lunch at a shopping mall in the outskirts of the city.

"Yes, they gave me the week off." She smiled broadly.

"Great!"

"Yeah…too bad I'm gonna spend it on the damn road." She complained.

"Did you tell them you were stranded in Colorado?"

"Yeah right, as if they'd believed such a thing. I told them my father was in the hospital and I had to take care of him."

"Good" Rachel frowned. "-that they bought it I mean, not your father being sick part." Ross clarified. Rachel motioned her hand in a 'forget it' way and moved her eyes to the map Ross had spread on the table.

"So, have you figured out how we can get out of here?"

"Sort of, take a look." Ross grabbed the map and showed her the line he had drawn across it. "There are about two thousand miles between Denver and New York. If we rent a car and drive non-stop we can make it home in a day and a half."

"But that's exhausting. Besides, you drive like an old lady; it will take us a lot longer than that."

"That is so not true."

"You get tickets for driving too slow, Ross."

"It's not my fault the police can't appreciate my efficient driving."

"Why don't we just take a plane and end this torture right here?" Rachel sighed, looking at the long drawn line that kept her away from home.

"Now you're willing to pay for a plane ticket?"

"I just wanna get home…I wanna take a loooooong bubble bath and sleep on my clean, comfy bed. I miss my bed." She pouted.

"Alright, but you should know the cheapest ticket is six hundred dollars." She cleared her throat.

"So, two days by car, huh? I think I can bear that."

"Good, if we leave now, we may be home Thursday afternoon."

"Okay, we'll leave as soon as we are done shopping." Ross rolled his eyes.

"Do we really need to?" Rachel shot him a stare. "Alright, meet you here in….fifteen minutes?"

"Make that two hours."

"What!"

"We are in a shopping mall; there are dozens of stores to check out!"

"Rach, you only need a couple of t-shirts and pants to make it home, not clothes for the entire season."

"Alright…One hour?" Ross sighed.

"Okay, but if you take more than an hour I swear I'll leave without you!"

::::::::::::::::::::::

"Pheebs, slow down! we're never gonna find them."

"But they must around here; they only left an hour before we did."

"But who knows which direction they followed, for all we know they may have driven to an airport and taken a flight."

"I don't think so, plus I have a gut feeling we are very close to them. I can feel it."

"Are you sure it's not hunger? because I feel kinda weird myself." He said rubbing his stomach.

"I have snacks in my purse, grab them."

"Aw, thanks!" Joey cheerfully picked up Phoebe's purse and pulled out a bag of chips. He was about to put a handful of chips into his mouth when he perceived Phoebe's sad expression on her face. "Phoebe, they will be fine, they're adults; they will find their way home."

"That's not what I'm worried about, I just don't want them to think I'm a bad person. Oh my god…they're gonna cut me out of their lives, aren't they?"

"No they won't, I'm sure they will understand everything once you explain what really happened."

"That's if they give me the chance to speak."

::::::::::::::::::::.

"See? Right on time." Rachel smiled proudly. Ross on the other hand gazed dumbfounded at the countless bags she was carrying.

"You didn't want to buy a plane ticket but you just left half of this mall's stores without stock?"

"This is money well invested, do not compare."

"If you say so…Can we leave now?"

"Sure, let's go." They initiated their way towards the exit but Rachel soon stopped in her tracks. "Oh wait! there is a boutique I haven't seen!" Ross rolled his eyes annoyed. "Five more minutes, please?" She begged.

"You don't need a cocktail dress, Rach."

"What do you know, plus I have a work event next week and I still haven't anything to wear, maybe the dress I'm looking for is right here, please?" she pouted, knowing Ross could never say no to her when she did that.

"Alright…only five minutes." He threatened with his index finger.

"Promised." Ross grabbed her multiple bags and observed her walk away until she disappeared into the boutique. Tired, he took seat at a nearby bench; he leaned back and rested his head on the wall as he closed his eyes. Almost immediately sleep washed over him. He had hardly managed to sleep the previous night. It had been forever since he last had the chance to share his bed with Rachel -actually they had shared one a few days back, but he was too drunk to enjoy the moment-. However, last night was a different story. He was widely aware of her presence and for some reason he could not find himself to give in to slumber. It wasn't until five in the morning that he finally surrendered and by nine they were already on the road.

"Excuse me, sir?" a feminine voice brought him back to reality.

…

"That will be 99.95 dollars." Rachel handed the cashier her credit card and smiled delighted with her purchase. "Thank you for shopping with us, have a nice day." Rachel responded with a 'thank you' and left the establishment.

She stood still outside the boutique as her eyes searched for Ross. She finally spotted him sitting on a bench, surrounded by her bags and a woman. "Who the hell is that?" She found herself hissing. She carefully observed the strange –and attractive- woman. She was sitting close to Ross, talking to him rather animatedly and a hint of jealousy arose in her. She took a deep breath and firmly made her way towards them.

"Honey, I'm done, we can go now." She said before slowly and sensually leaning over and planting a kiss on Ross' lips. Ross gave her a look of rather astonishment as she pulled away. "Hi," She then said to the woman as if she had just noticed her. The stranger mumbled a shy "hi" in return.

"Oh sorry." Ross cleared his throat as he stood up, followed by the unknown woman. "Jenna this is Rachel, my…" He trailed off, still perplexed by Rachel's move.

"Wife." Rachel quickly added. "Nice to meet you," Rachel extended her hand, which the woman politely shook with a smile. "If you'd excuse us, my husband and I have a very long ride to go on with." Rachel said as she affectionately stroked Ross' arm.

"Sure, I…gotta go too." Jenna said turning to Ross with a smile. "Nice meeting you Ross and thank you."

"No thanks needed, nice meeting you too." They said goodbye to each other and the woman walked away. Ross and Rachel stood in complete silence for a few seconds, until Ross' stare upon her started to make her feel uncomfortable.

"So, let's go!" she said with a clap of hands and started to walk towards the exit.

"mmh Rach, what was that all about?" He asked confused as he tried to keep up with her fast pace.

"Oh sorry, but there is no time for picking up women." He let out a soft chuckle.

"Picking up? She just wanted to know what time it was."

"And your name too, apparently." He tried to make eye contact with her, find out what was going on but she avoided his gaze.

"She guessed I was form New York and we held a brief conversation; it's what most kind people do, you know."

"She was totally flirting with you, Ross." He frowned.

"A…are you jealous? Or what's going on here?" Rachel stopped walking and looked at him as if bothered by his question.

"no I'm not, it's just that…I don't think it's the right time to be flirting with random ladies. We have to head home." She lied since she herself didn't even know what had come over her.

"And the kiss?" Rachel held her breath.

"I-I…had to make it believable that we were a couple." She said with a tilt of her head, trying to conceal her nervousness. "besides…technically it wasn't wrong because we are still married." She pointed out. Ross raised an eyebrow in a query way.

"Now, we're a real married couple?" He said in a chuckle.

"It was simply to shoo that woman away."

"So, according to that rule…I can kiss you whenever I want, right? since we are still married." Rachel damned herself silently. Why did she have to do anything! She was unconsciously getting herself into too much trouble.

"I guess so…?" she try to say as nonchalantly as possible. "But remember, we are getting divorced so…it may not be well-received." She quickly added with a challenging smile and resumed her way towards their rented car.

"I may take the risk." Ross murmured into her ear, sending chills down her spine.

:::::::::::::::::

"You know, when we move in together, can I get a gumball machine?" Chandler asked, thrilled that he had made the decision to move in with Monica and he didn't feel anxious about it.

"Of course! Joey wouldn't let you have one?"

"No. When it comes to sweets, he's surprisingly strict."

"Hey, have you figured out a way to tell him you're moving out?"

"No, but they're not back yet so I still have some time find a proper way to rip his heart out" he stressed the last words.

"Do you think he'll take it that bad?"

"That bad? One time we had to throw out a photo of us that he had accidentally torn and he was depressed for like a week!"

"Really?" Monica laughed at his friend's absurdity.

"He is a sentimental young boy." He said with adoration. "Have you thought about how you're gonna tell Rachel?" He asked as he stroked his girlfriend's hair.

"No, but I think it's best if we tell them right away, as soon as they cross that door we will drop the boom."

:::::::::::::

Rachel opened her eyes slowly as she stretched on her seat.

"Hello Sleepyhead" Ross muttered.

"Hi" she smiled. Her voice was a little hoarse. How long had she been asleep? She asked herself.

"Are we home yet?" She joked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Nope, but getting closer."

"How long have I been sleeping for?"

"Five straight hours."

"What!" she exclaimed shocked. "Actually, I can tell by the pain in my neck. Ouch!" she brought her hands to her shoulders and carefully massaged her tense muscles.

"Where are we exactly?" She asked a little later.

"Somewhere in Iowa."

"mmmh I have no idea where that is, anyway…can we make a stop? I need to use the restroom and I want to change, I've been in these clothes for two days and I feel so dirty." She said with disgust.

"Okay, I think there is one a couple of miles ahead."

After a short stop they resumed their way to New York City. The sky was clear and the moonlight illuminated their dark surroundings. Everything seemed to go well, except for their usual arguments about who would drive the car.

"Will you let me take the wheel some time?" Rachel asked one more time.

"But you already did…"

"Yeah, for like an hour."

"because you almost crashed us against a truck!"

"Blame the guy who kept distracting me with 'Hey, look at that view!' 'oh wow, did you see that deer?!" She reproached him.

"I'm sorry, it's not that often that I get to travel across the country." He answered, mimicking her tone.

"C'mon let me!"

"no!"

"Pleaseee,"

"I'm sorry but no, you're a threat on the road and I don't want to have a heart-attack at the age of 30." Ross concluded and turned on the radio so as to let her know the discussion was over. Rachel folded her arms in anger. An hour went by in complete silence. Rachel was getting exasperated, she needed to do something or else she would die of boredom.

"Oh look! A turtle just passed us by, how adorable." Rachel commented with sarcasm. Ross ignored her remark and kept his eyes fixed on the road. Rachel exhaled feeling a little annoyed. "C'mon Ross, let me drive!" He was about to say something but a yawn got in the way.

"See? You're tired and need to rest; let me drive, I promise I will not speed up this time." Ross hesitated for a moment but eventually gave up since he wasn't sure he could stay awake much longer.

"Alright…"

"YAY!"

"But! If you excess the speed limit I…w-we will not get a divorce!" He threatened. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"O-kay"

Ross pulled up to a side of the road and reluctantly let Rachel take the driver's seat. She smiled widely as she started the car and began to drive.

"Do I dare to get some sleep?"

"Of course, I will be careful Ross, don't be such a paranoid."

"Okay, if you want anything just wake me up." Rachel nodded while Ross tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in and closed his eyes. He was almost slipping into slumber when suddenly Rachel's voice startled him.

"Oh no, no, no, Oh no, no no, What's happening?!"

"What!" Ross exclaimed half-asleep.

"The car is making a really weird noise…I'm pushing the accelerator but it doesn't seem to be working." The car came to halt and smoke started to emanate from the engine.

"This can't be happening." He said in incredulity.

"Seriously, what else can go wrong?"

::::::::::::::::::::::::

**Let me know if you liked it! thanks :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for your reviews, they are much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the next update. PS: I have no idea about mechanics or the American road system and do not have time to research so I made everything up. I hope it is coherent to you all. **

…..

**CHAPTER 5**

"This can't be happening."

"Seriously, what else can go wrong?"

Rachel managed to drive the car to the right side of the road and infuriated she got off, quickly followed by Ross. He opened the hood and smoke spread all around them. They silently observed the engine as the smoke started to clear up.

"What the hell happened?"

"I think you overheated the car."

"I did? I only drove for like forty five minutes! You must have overheated it with all your slow-driving." He rolled his eyes.

"We drove for too many hours; we'll have to wait until it cools off."

"You know, I think it must've been something else, I heard a noise, and it felt as if some thing had unclasped from somewhere." She grabbed the flashlight from his hand and pointed at the engine, not really sure about what she was trying to find.

"Yup, here it is." Ross said holding up a loose wire.

"Great, Can you fix it?" She asked hopeful.

"Sure enough, give me just a couple of years to learn mechanics and I'll get down to business right away." He said with sarcasm. Rachel exhaled in exasperation.

"What are we gonna do now?" She wanted to scream, cry, punch something to release her increasing anger. "Should we try stopping a car?"

"I don't think it'd be of much help unless we come across a mechanic."

"Then what?"

"I guess we'll have to call the rental company, wait here, there is an emergency telephone over there."

"Okay, be careful" She warned him as she quickly got in the car. She observed her dark surroundings; she could only make out what seemed like a barley field on her right side and a dense forest on the opposite side. No sign of civilization again.

A broken car, full moon night and a forest, it seemed like the perfect setting for a horror movie. The only thought of it made her shiver. Thankfully, Ross returned to the car before the movie started to develop in her head.

"What did they tell you?" She eagerly asked.

"They said they'd send someone over as soon as possible, but it'll take at least an hour…"

"Gosh…" She closed her eyes and leaned back on the seat. "So…I'll guess we have to wait here."

"Hey, do you mind if I nap for a while? I'm pretty exhausted."

"No, go ahead."

"Thanks, wake me up when they get here."

"Sure." She turned on the interior light and pulled out a fashion magazine to pass time.

(…)

"Ross!"

"What," he mumbled still asleep.

"Wake up, Ross!" His eyes flew open.

"W-what happened, Are they here yet?" he asked still disoriented.

"No! And it's 3am. It's been two freaking hours. How are they not here yet?"

"I'll call them again."

"Wait, I'll come with you."

"Why?"

"Because I keep hearing creepy noises and it's freaking me out."

"Alright, c'mon."

As soon as they left the car, Rachel grabbed onto Ross' arm and scanned her unknown surroundings searching for any possible creature, animal or human, that may threat their existence. Ross grinned at the way her hands clutched his arm tighter as they got farther away from the car. He suddenly felt like teasing her a little but decided not to since it would probably earn him an undesired punch.

"They said someone is on their way here already, they should be arriving soon." Ross informed her after a brief conversation with the rental company.

"Okay, good. Let's go back to the car." She hurriedly said, looking in every direction. Ross couldn't help but laugh at her childish fear.

"Calm down, Rach. Why are you so scared?" He asked amused.

"Have you ever seen a horror movie, they all start like this, two people lost in the middle of nowhere at night."

"C'mon, those are movies. That almost never happens in real life."

"Exactly, almost never and considering our luck I wouldn't be at ease." Ross couldn't hold his laugher, but Rachel ignored it. "Oh god, Did you hear that!" She quickly turned around.

"The crickets? Yeah."

"No! It totally sounded like a scream! I swear, when this nightmare ends, I'll have Phoebe massage me for free for an entire year as a payback!"

"Wait" he went serious. "We are in Iowa, right?"

"I think so…"

"Oh…"

"Oh, What?"

"Nothing, I just remembered something I read about Iowa a while ago."

"What, what did you read?"

"I don't want to tell you, you'll get scared."

"Oh c'mon!"

"Okay." He cleared his throat as he tried to keep a straight face. "Well…I read that in this precise area in the eighties, a group of geologists carried out a project to reach the centre of the earth. They drilled a hole into the crust of the earth but after eight miles the drill began to rotate wildly and the temperature had increased so much that they had to stop. They later let down hypersensitive microphones through the hole to record and study the earth's movements, but what they recorded instead was so terrifying that many of them quit the project immediately." Rachel stopped in her tracks, scared but willing to know more.

"What did they hear?"

"Human voices, thousands of human voices screaming in pain. They believed they had reached the gates of hell." Rachel let out a nervous laugh.

"You're kidding, aren't you?"

"No, in fact everything is documented."

"Oh my god, that's horrifying! And that happened here?" Ross broke into laughter at Rachel's stunned expression.

"It actually took place in Siberia." He clarified.

"I hate you." Rachel hissed as she gave him a death stare and slapped his arm. Ross laughed louder. "Don't laugh, It's not funny! I actually bought it." she frowned and folded her arms faking anger.

"You're just so easy to tease." He said as he passed an arm over her shoulders, which Rachel didn't reject, and brought her closer. They resumed their way towards the car. "But the rest is totally true." He added.

"Oh Well thank you for sharing it with me, I think I may never be able to sleep again." she said with sarcasm.

"Sorry," He whispered before kissing her hair. She looked at him with a repressed smile. She wondered why he was acting particularly sweet with her in the past few days. She couldn't figure out what it was but she certainly liked it.

(…)

"Two and a half hours…man they're taking their time to get here." Ross commented but Rachel didn't seem to hear him as she appeared to be deep in thoughts. "You're quiet, everything okay?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Do you believe in hell?"

"Still dwelling upon that?"

"I can't help it, that story makes you wonder…"

"It was fifteen years ago, their equipment couldn't have been very sophisticated; the noises were probably produced by rocks or something else." He tried to play down the importance of the issue.

"Still, it's kind of spooky."

"Let me get that out of your mind. Turn off the headlights." He commanded.

"What for?"

"Just do it." he said before leaving the car. Rachel frowned confused but followed him outside. Ross grabbed a blanket he had conveniently bought at the mall and spread it on the car top. He then climbed onto the car.

"Come on up here." He offered her his hand, which Rachel held hesitantly. "Close your eyes and lie down on your back."

"What's in your mind, Geller?" Hearing her say his last name made him chuckle.

"Nothing dirty, I promise." She reluctantly obeyed his order. Ross lay down next to her. "Now clear your mind from every thought…and open your eyes." as she did so a gasp left her mouth.

"Wow!"

"See, you hardly get to witness such a thing in Manhattan."

"It is…breathtaking, I don't think I've ever seen so many stars together." She commented awestruck.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" She sighed. "This kinda reminds me of…" She trailed off when she realised what she was about to say.

"Me too." She looked at him and a spontaneous smile appeared on her face.

"It was such an amazing night." She admitted, expressing less nostalgia than she was really feeling.

"Such an amazing night." he echoed her words as he locked gazes with her. His intense look made her wish she could time travel and return to that night at the planetarium.

His lips curled up into a soft smile and for a moment she thought he was going to lean in and kiss her. But he didn't, he cleared his throat and returned his gaze towards the sky. The moment was gone. As she moved her eyes back to the firmament, her mind filled with more memories from that night. She was surprised that after so many years she could still remember everything clearly; the words he said, the way he so gently touched her skin…

"I still don't understand how you didn't get fired on the spot that day." She said after a few seconds of comfortable silence.

"Well…the nun was quite understanding after all; she truly liked the fact that we were playing Adam and Eve as opposed to the Evolution theory." Rachel burst out laughing.

"Such a lame excuse, how did she ever buy that?"

"I think she liked me." He joked in a high-pitched voice. They shared a laugh before returning to gaze at the beautifulness above them.

"I can't believe it's been four years since then…it's crazy how fast time flies." She commented as she turned to lie on her side. She observed how he did the same and met gazes with her.

"If you want to…we could relive that night, I mean; we have the blanket, the stars…plus we are still married so it wouldn't be wrong." He said with a naughty smile. Rachel shook her head trying to repress a smile, widely aware of his joking attitude.

"Stop taking advantage of our drunken mistake to try to get into my pants." She teased back.

"You took advantage of it first." He pointed out.

"I wasn't taking advantage; I…was saving you from what could've been your fourth failed marriage. Plus, it was a simple, innocent peck."

"Which you stole from me."

"Is that a complaint?"

"Definitely not a complaint, I just think that I deserve a proper kiss from my wife. I'm getting another divorce; I should at least get a little fun out of it, don't you think?" Ross pouted. Rachel hesitated for a moment and then teasingly got closer to his mouth, as if about to kiss him.

"No" she whispered instead. Ross let out a groan of disapproval, which made Rachel chuckle.

"You're mean." She rolled her eyes.

"Alright…If I let you kiss me, will you stop whining for the rest of the trip?"

"Sure enough." he grinned.

"Okay, kiss me." She firmly said as she raised her body a little to rest on her elbow. Ross rose as well, a bit taken aback by her boldness.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, C'mon." She encouraged as she moved a little closer. Ross grinned as he started to lean towards her. Rachel closed her eyes not sure whether she was frightened or yearning for it to happen. His breathing brushed her lips as he got closer and to her surprise her heart started to race with anticipation. Her lips instinctively parted, ready to welcome his desired kiss but Ross suddenly pulled back.

"You know what, you're right, we shouldn't be doing this." He said. Her eyes flew opened, feeling disappointed. However, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well mister, you missed your chance; you are no longer allowed to demand anything." She warned. "Now, Let's get down from here before they catch us in the act." She quickly added, a bit disconcerted by her own feelings.

"Wait, let me help you." he offered as he jumped off the car top and ran to the other side to help her. He placed his hands on both sides of her waist and helped her descend. The moment her feet touched the ground he boldly circled her waist and pulled her against his body as he captured her lips in a kiss, leaving Rachel beyond astonished. She felt his lips begin to move over hers, very gently but enough to make her knees go weak instantly. She quickly grabbed on his T-shirt for support and unconsciously started to kiss him back. His hands moved to the small of her back as he forced her mouth open to deepen the kiss, the innocent kiss began to get out of control. When his lungs started to beg for some air, Ross slowly moved away. Rachel opened her eyes at the lack of physical contact. She found his eyes staring upon her, which made her blush furiously. She silently thanked it was night time and he wasn't able to perceive it.

"There, now we're even." He muttered triumphantly. Rachel instinctively licked her lips, something that didn't go unnoticed by Ross, who smiled proudly at his achievement.

"Even?" She stuttered, still breathless. "That was almost a make out session." She tried to say nonchalantly, but that unexpected kiss had turned her on beyond belief.

"You could have stopped it." He whispered wittily. Rachel bit her bottom lip unable to find a proper answer to his comment. Just then, a pair of headlights appeared in the distance, heading towards them.

…

**Reviews = inspiration = updates come sooner. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"Finally!" Rachel exclaimed as she got off the cab. It was already 10am when they finally made it to the hotel and after such a long night she was looking forward to sleeping on a comfortable bed, even if it was in another hotel of another lost town.

The mechanic had spent twenty minutes trying to fix the problem when he finally communicated them the car needed to be taken to a garage in order to replace a broken wire. It would only take a few minutes to repair the damage. However, being so late into the night, all the nearest garages were closed so the insurance guy, who accompanied the mechanic, offered them to stay at a hotel while the car got fixed.

"I bet you don't regret spending those extra bucks on insurance anymore, huh?" Ross commented as they walked to the hotel's reception, Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Plus, the insurance is paying for our hotel stay."

"Yaaay" She said emotionlessly. "At least this looks like a good hotel, unlike that horrible place in Utah." She wrinkled her nose at the memory.

They waited in silence while the receptionist checked their reservation on her computer. She then placed their key-cards on the counter and wished them a nice stay. However, before they could leave, the woman called their attention.

"yes?"

"The hotel is celebrating its 25th anniversary and we're running a couple's competition tonight at the main bar, Would you like to participate?"

"Actually, We're not a co-" Ross began to say but the girl cut him off.

"the main prize is worth 5.000 dollars." She added.

"We'd love to participate!" Rachel blurt out. Ross arched his eyebrows at her.

"Great! Could you write down your names and room number in here, please?" The woman said handing her a notepad.

"Sure." She quickly did as told and returned the notepad.

"Thanks! Here are your numbers."

"What are these for?"

"We're also having a raffle after the competition and these are your numbers. Good luck"

"Oh, thank you."

"A couple's competition?" Ross asked as they made their way to their rooms.

"I know I know, but it's 5.000 dollars!" She exclaimed enthusiastically "We could rent a limousine to take us home with that kind of money." He chuckled at her excitement.

"Do you really think we have chance?"

"I don't know…but it'll be worth a shot, don't you think?" Ross shrugged his shoulders in doubt.

"Here's your room. Are you sure you can handle being on your own?" He mocked. Rachel stared at him.

"I'll be perfectly fine, thank you for your concern." She responded with slight sarcasm.

"Okay, see you in a few hours for lunch?" She nodded her head and Ross continued towards his room. Rachel closed the door and without even taking a look at her room she flopped down onto the bed. She took off her boots and crawled till reaching the pillow as she breathed out a sigh of utter exhaustion. Even though it had only been three days since they had been on the road, to her it felt like an entire month that didn't seem to come to an end. She tossed and turned as her eyes closed, ready to get some good rest.

Rachel woke up three hours later, smiling at the brief thought of being back home, but no, she was still in that hotel room. She yawned as she sat up and glanced at the clock. It was an hour past lunch time and Ross hadn't come to pick her up yet. She assumed he was still sleeping so she decided to take a shower and get changed.

"Coming!" She yelled after hearing some knocks on her door. She wrapped a towel around her body and made her way towards the door.

"Hey, you're…not ready." He uttered, noticing her peculiar attire.

"I'm sorry, I was taking a shower and lost track of time. Come in, I'll be ready in a couple of minutes." She hurriedly said. Ross obeyed and took a seat on her bed as he watched her run back to the bathroom. She came out a minute later, wearing a sky-blue summer dress. She sent him a natural smile as she raised her hand to show him her brush. "Almost done."

"Okay, no rush." She instinctively winked her eye and turned her back on him to watch her reflection in the mirror while she fixed her hair.

"So, Did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah, although the phone woke up me." He rose to his feet and moved towards her.

"Who was it?" She gave him a quizzical look through the mirror.

"Oh, I knew there was something I had to tell you. The insurance guy called. Apparently the breakdown is more serious than they thought and it will take a few days to repair it."

"Of course this would happen." She said with a roll of eyes.

"He said they will give us a new car, tonight or tomorrow morning the latest."

"well, that's not too bad." A brief silence followed. Rachel kept brushing her hair until she noticed his intense gaze on her. "What?" He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed that he had been caught staring.

"Nothing, it's just that…you look gorgeous today." Rachel stopped brushing her hair and arched an eyebrow at his unexpected flattering comment. "That dress truly brings out your beautiful eyes." He softly said, unable to take his eyes off her. Rachel flushed in spite of herself.

"Geller, Are you trying to seduce me so you can get out of the divorce?" She inquired, obviously joking.

"No, but now that you've brought it up…I need to tell you something."

"Uh-oh" Rachel put the brush on the chest of drawers and turned around. "Is it a good thing or a bad thing?" She asked. Instead of answering he grabbed her hand and guided her to the bed. His serious expression worried her.

"Remember I told you that I didn't want to get an annulment, let alone a divorce?"

"Yes…" She answered, already dreading that the conversation may trigger another fight between them.

"I've been thinking about it these past few days and…you were right, I was being selfish and unreasonable. I let my fear of being labelled as the three divorces guy blind me, I completely ignore your opinion and that was so rude on my part. I promise you that the minute we get home I'll arrange a meeting with my lawyer to deal with all this as soon as possible." Rachel narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out why all of a sudden he had changed his mind and why he was telling her that now.

"Okay…good."

"But I want to ask you something in return." He added. Rachel nodded her head, encouraging him to continue. "From now on I don't want to hear ANYTHING about divorce, not even mild jokes. I know it may sound stupid to you, but hearing that word makes me miserable. I've already experienced it twice and is the most unpleasant situation you can imagine." Rachel held his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, feeling guilty for having been so inconsiderate of her friend's feelings.

"I swear I will not joke about it again, I…I didn't know you felt that way and I'm truly sorry for acting so insensitive about the whole thing, I honestly didn't think it was a big deal"

"It may not be a big deal for someone else, but it is to me…besides…I know that our marriage isn't real but…it is hard for me to believe that I'm actually divorcing you…it hurts." His confession surprised her. A sad smiled appeared across her face.

"I know, I can't believe it either." She said tilting her head.

"So, Do you think you can forget that we're getting…." He trailed off.

"Of course honey. I will not mention it again."

"Thank you," he gave her a genuine smile.

"Wait, does this mean I have to pretend I'm your loving wife?" She joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"If you want to…" He said with a cute shrug. "No…you just have to be you, okay?. My best friend Rachel, the most adorable, loving, big-hearted person I've ever known." his words made her heart skip a beat, to her own surprise. Her eyes started to well up so she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. Ross gently stroked her back while placing small kisses on her shoulder.

"You're so sweet." She whispered as she slowly pulled back. He sweetly kissed her forehead and then stood up.

"Anyway, let's forget all about it and have fun as good friends we are, okay?" he offered her his hand and she rose to her feet.

"Yeah, and let's eat something cause my stomach is killing me!"

(…..)

After an enjoyable lunch with Ross, Rachel returned to her room. She caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the mirror and realised she was smiling unconsciously. It had been a fun afternoon, they had conversed and laughed and shared recent anecdotes just like in the old days.

She suddenly remembered the kiss they had shared -or he had rather stolen from her- the previous night. She bit her bottom lip at the thought. It had only lasted a few seconds but those were enough to move everything she had inside.

What was happening to her?

She shook her head to erase Ross from her mind and then picked up the phone as she dialled Monica's number.

"Hi Monica, it's me."

"Oh, Hi Rachel, Where are you guys?"

"We had a little problem…so it'll take us a little longer to get there."

"What happened?" She asked concerned.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you back home, I'm just calling to let you know we should be there by Saturday."

"Okay honey, I can't wait to see you, I have something very important to tell you."

"Are you pregnant?"

"Nooo"

"Oh my god! Did Chandler propose?"

"Noo and stop guessing, I'm not gonna tell you over the phone."

"Alright…I gotta go, Ross is waiting for me. See you in a couple of days then."

"Okay, have a safe drive. Bye." As soon as Monica hung up the phone the door to her apartment got opened.

"Hi!" Phoebe said cheerfully. Monica looked at the phone and then back at Phoebe, rather confused.

"Wait, what are you doing here? I just talked to Rachel she said you guys would arrive in two days."

"Oh…Did she sound mad?"

"No…Phoebe…where are the rest?" She asked suspiciously.

"Joey's in his apartment."

"And Ross and Rachel?"

"I don't know…" She muttered under her breath.

"Oh my god, Pheebs, what the hell did you do?"

::::::::

"Ready?" Rachel asked him as the door opened.

"Just a minute, I'm on the phone with Ben."

"Oh, take the time you need, I'll wait for you down at the bar, I'm pretty thirsty."

"Okay, see you there."

She walked hastily through the corridor, wondering why she suddenly felt so nervous around Ross. Her heart had accelerated the moment he had opened that door, something very unusual. Although she didn't want to admit it, deep down she knew that kiss they shared the night before and the wonderful day she had enjoyed in his company had awakened feelings she thought to be dead and buried long time ago, and that scared her.

She entered the bar and sat on the first stool she found free.

"Can I get you anything?" The barman immediately asked with a friendly smile. Rachel raised her eyes.

"Is it too soon for a margarita?" the blonde-haired barman chuckled.

"I'd say it's the perfect time! A margarita it is?" He asked to confirm. Rachel nodded her head and observed him move away to prepare the cocktail. "There you go."

"Thank you." She muttered before taking a sip. It burnt her throat a little. She looked up again to notice he was still standing in front of her. "What?" She automatically said.

"I hope I don't come off as a jerk but, what is such a beautiful girl like you doing drinking a margarita on her own?" Rachel smiled at the compliment. She met his eyes, a mixture of green and yellow coloured his iris, truly stunning eyes.

"I'm actually waiting for a friend." She smiled politely and took another sip.

"Where are you from?" The young man continued the conversation. Despite being a complete stranger, Rachel appreciated a little attention from a man other than Ross. Perhaps the reason why she was feeling all those things was due to the amount of time spent with Ross those past days. Yes, that was it. She convinced herself.

"New York,"

"The big apple."

"Hu-huh"

"And How long are you staying here?"

"Not much, we're leaving as soon as our car is fixed; we're on our way home from Las Vegas."

"May I know your name?"

"Rachel"

"Rachel, you should stay longer, there are pretty awesome places here in Illinois."

"Are there? I honestly haven't paid much attention, I'm just so eager to get home."

"I sense homesickness?"

"Nope, just sick of the road."

"If you need to relax, I could take you out to a really nice place." He said in a flirty way.

"mmh…I'm not sure I should trust a bartender." She tilted her head in doubt.

"What is wrong with bartenders?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You get people drunk." The young bartender burst out laughing. She gave him a smile and gulped the rest of her margarita. "Shall I bring you another margarita?" Rachel chuckled.

"Trying to prove me wrong, are you?" She gave a little jump on her seat when a couple of arms embraced her waist from behind. She looked over her shoulders and found Ross grinning at her. "Oh, hi." She tried to say casually, but his proximity made her feel uncomfortable. She saw how the bartender eyed Ross with curiosity.

"Ready to go?" He asked before planting a sweet kiss on her temple; such a simple gesture yet enough to send chills running down her spine.

"Yeah, let me just pay this. How much is the margarita?" She asked the bartender, pulling out her wallet.

"Nothing, it's on the house." Rachel grinned.

"Well, thanks a lot; It was nice meeting you…."

"Michael"

"Michael"

"Likewise and enjoy your stay. Will I see you around?" He asked, although it almost sounded like a pleading.

"Maybe." Rachel politely said with a smile. Ross placed an arm around her waist as they walked away.

"I leave you five minutes alone and you're already making guys fall for you?" He said in a sweet tone. Rachel blushed.

"He was being nice."

"And flirting."

"I know." She chuckled to herself. "But I'm not interested."

"Good, because it's not that often that I get enjoy your company alone, so I want you all to myself." He said, squeezing her side a little. Rachel smiled shyly. She knew he had meant in a friendly way, however, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous and excited at the same time.

They entered the bar where the competition would take place. The place was filled with people; couples rehearsing their dance moves. Ross frowned confused.

"Wait, so it's a DANCE competition?" Rachel started giggling. "We're so screwed."

Despite their attempts to stay in the game, they could hardly hold their laughter or even synchronize their moves so, as expected, they were eliminated in the first round. They moved to the bar, still giggling at their poor performance, and ordered a couple of beers. The competition soon came to an end and the host took the stage to announce the winners.

"That was an incredible competition, thank you to the winners and everyone who participated. Now, let's proceed to the raffle." The host said into the microphone.

"Oh, the raffle! Do you have the tickets?"

"Yes," She pulled the two pieces of paper out of her purse and handed them to Ross. "considering our luck lately…I wouldn't even bother to check them."

"And the winning number is….201"

"We won!" Ross exclaimed.

"You're kidding."

"No, we did win! Take a look." Rachel's mouth opened widely.

"Oh my god! it's true! We won! What did we win?" she said, having realised she didn't know what was being raffled.

"I have no clue." Ross quickly raised his hand and the host invited him to the small stage. Rachel followed him. Eager to know what their prize was.

"What's your name, sir?"

"Ross Geller."

"Congratulations Ross, you just won a two-night stay at our Royal Suite, all expenses paid." Ross and Rachel looked at each other perplexed.

….

"So what should we do about the prize?" He asked as they walked through the corridor that led to their rooms. "I mean, we could either take the new car and be home by tomorrow night, or take the prize and fly back home on Sunday."

"I don't know…" Rachel pondered his words. She was eager to get home. However, she had had such a blast today that she thought it wouldn't hurt spending a couple of more days away.

"I don't really mind, so I'll let you decide." He added.

"Can I sleep on it?"

"Sure"

"Okay, I'll think about it. And thanks for today, I had so much fun." She admitted.

"Me too" he said, holding her hands. She looked down at their hands and memories from the time they were together rushed to her mind.

"So, See you in the morning?" she gazed up at him and nodded.

"Yeah." Rachel smiled, wishing the night wasn't over yet.

"Good night then." He murmured. He bent and kissed her, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth.

…..


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you ****debbie-friendsfan****, my faithful reviewer! This is dedicated to you, hope you like it!**

…

**CHAPTER 7**

"Good night then." He murmured. He bent and kissed her, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth.

"Good night." Rachel murmured as Ross slowly moved away. With a smile, he pointed in the direction of his room was and began to walk way. "Wait, Ross." He turned around.

"What."

"Maybe we should accept the prize." She said with a casual shrug. He arched an eyebrow.

"Don't you want to give it a thought?"

"I don't think it'll be necessary…I mean, who am I kidding? I'm sick and tired of the road. I just can't bear another fourteen hours drive in that car, I'll go crazy!" he giggled.

"Are you sure?

"Yes, it seems more convenient to me to spend a couple of days here and then fly back home…What do you think?"

"I think you have a good point there."

"Plus, it's an all expenses paid weekend, how can we reject such a thing! …old Rachel would never do that." Ross chuckled, agreeing with a nod of his head.

"Are you really really sure? because you'll have to put up with me for another two whole days." He warned.

"It's gonna be tricky, but I'll live through it." She joked. Ross' lips stretched into a smile, that Rachel found beyond adorable.

"Okay, See you in the morning." He repeated, kissing her cheek and finally moving away.

She stood by her door for a few more moments, trying to deal with her sudden urge to follow him and spend the night in his company, even if it was in a friendly way. She just couldn't wait to see him again.

…..

"Holy shit, this is huuuuge." Rachel exclaimed as she enterer what would be their room for the next couple of days. Ross scanned his surrounds in equal amazement. The Royal Suite was about the size of Monica's apartment. It was divided in three rooms; a huge bedroom, a living room and a bathroom as big as the rest of the rooms. There was also an enormous balcony with a small swimming pool in it. Rachel gasped several times. "And to think we almost rejected THIS."

"I know!" They entered the bathroom together. A huge whirlpool bath stood in the centre of the room. Both their jaws fell to the floor in astonishment.

"I can finally have a proper bubble bath." She exclaimed with a little jump as she clapped her hands in excitment, her eyes watering a little from excitement. Their bad luck seemed to be turning into good luck at last.

…..

She rested her head on the curb of the bath and closed her eyes as she allowed her body to relax in the warm water. It wasn't until that moment that she realised how stiffen her entire body was from all the worries and impossible positions she had experienced those past days, problems that now drifted away as she lay there, smelling the soothing scent of the soap and listening to the chill out music that came out of the speakers. She hardly remembered she was thousands of miles away from home anymore. A knock on the door brought her out of her uplifting trance.

"Come in!" she said as she arranged some of the bubbles to cover her body fully.

"I brought you some champagne." He said with a goofy smile as he entered the bathroom carrying a glass on his right hand. "And strawberries." He added.

"Wow, fancy." She sent him a smiled and whispered a thank you as she grabbed the glass from his hand. He placed the bowl of strawberries on the wider edge of the bathtub and took seat on one of the sides.

"Cheers." He muttered as he stretched out his arm to click his glass agaisnt hers.

"Cheers." She repeated before taking a sip of her champagne. He did the same. "This is so amazing." She giggled.

"I bet you're not angry at Phoebe anymore."

"Well, she'll still gonna get an earful, but I gotta admit this is pretty cool."

"And free!" Rachel laughed at the emphasis he put in that word.

"Can you hand me a strawberry, please? My hands are soapy and I'll probably drop the bowl." She asked, eying the strawberries with hunger.

"Sure," He grabbed the bowl in his hands and picked one of the strawberries. Rachel was about to pull her hand out of the water to grab it when she noticed Ross placing the fruit in front of her lips. She looked up at him as she wrapped her lips around the strawberry and bit off a chunk of it, never breaking eye-contact. She was suddenly turned on by that intimate moment. She licked her lips for the remaining taste of the strawberry and looked again, feeling her face turning a deep red color.

"What?" He asked amused, noticing her blushed cheeks.

"I can't help but feel a little self-conscious about the fact that I'm fully naked in here…" she said shyly. Ross raised his brows.

"I…hadn't thought of that, but now I am. Thanks." He said naughtily.

"Get out." She demanded through a smile.

"Okay, I will, but I came to ask you something…"

"What is it?" She asked, looking down to make sure the bubbles were properly in place.

"Now I can't remember, you distracted me." He said, spreading his arm in a helpless gesture. Rachel tilted her head, "oh, okay, yes. mmh…Do you want to book a tour or excursion or something to do this afternoon? It's for free too!" He said excited.

"Sure, let's do something fun."

"I'm gonna take a look at their brochures and get back at you."

"Okay, now let me enjoy my bath, will you?" she closed her eyes and smiled, unable to block the naughty thoughts that began to emerge in her mind. If things were different, they would've had a great time in that bath. She thought.

…..

"Ross? Did you leave the music on when we left?" She asked, having just returned form their afternoon excursion to a nearby natural park. She walked in the direction of the balcony. The crystal doors were open and the drapes were being pushed by the incoming wind.

"No…why?" he followed her out the balcony. "What's this?" he asked with curiosity.

"I don't know…" She neared the table that was set in the middle of the balcony and picked up a small card lying on the table.

"_Dear Mr and Mrs Geller, as a welcome gift, The Mount Vernon Hotel has arranged a romantic dinner for the two of you._

_Dinner will be served at . _

_Enjoy."_

Rachel arched an eyebrow and looked up at him in a query way.

"Should we take it?"

"Hell yeah!

"Okay." She glanced at her watch "Great, I still have thirty minutes to get ready."

"Get ready?"

"Of course, I gotta look good for our first romantic dinner in three years." She said, more sensually than she had intended. "And I better not see you in those sweat shorts when I get back."

(…)

"And you said I wouldn't need a cocktail dress." She said as she reappeared in the balcony. Ross raised his gaze from the menu he was reading and his jaw instantly dropped, amazed at the sight before him. An involuntary "Wow…" escaped his mouth as he stood up. Rachel blush a little, truly enjoying the reaction she had provoked on him.

"I may be a little overdressed, but I just couldn't wait to wear this precious babe." She said with a broad smile, smoothing the skirt of her dress a little. Ross neared her, unable to take his eyes off her. She was wearing a knee-length black dress, strapless and with a slit on the right side that sometimes gave a peek of her perfectly toned leg.

"You look breathtaking." He said, looking deep into her eyes, which made her heart skip a beat. "But I gotta say, you make me feel so out of place." He helplessly looked down at his jeans and plain blue T-shirt. "I didn't buy anything elegant…" he twisted his lips in a sorry way.

"Don't worry, you look absolutely cute." She said, patting his chest a little and then taking seat at the table. They remained silent for a few moments. Rachel observed her surrounds, the sun was no longer visible and as the sky got darker she finally noticed the dozens of candles that were set all around them. The music, the candles, him…It was such a romantic moment that she was starting to consider things she wouldn't allow herself to even think a few days ago.

A couple of waiters arrived almost immediately and after explaining the contents of the menu, Ross and Rachel were left alone. They smiled at the same time. Soft music sounded in the background.

"So…" He said softly. "Should we start?"

"Yeah!" they took off the plate covers simultaneously and smiled.

"Lobster," Rachel chuckled "very appropriate." She commented with a smile of nostalgia. She met his eyes. His mind was occupied by the exact same memory. "Are we sure Phoebe didn't prepare this dinner?" Ross laughed.

"If she did, then she forgot a small but very important detail." Rachel furrowed her brows in a questioning way. "I'm allergic to lobster." He answered her unuttered question. Rachel brought her hands to her face.

"Oh my god, you're right! What are you gonna do?" he shrugged.

"There is a second plate and I'll pray that the dessert is not a kiwi pie." Rachel laughed loudly.

"We should call reception and order something else for you, I'm sure they can cook something fast."

"Nah, that's okay."

"But you're gonna be hungry in like two hours."

"I'll be fine, and let's not waste this romantic dinner by talking about food."

"Okay, How about this, I exchange my second plate for your lobster."

"deal" He said, stretching out his hand, which Jennifer shook gladly.

They ate, they drunk, they talked, they laughed, hard. As the night progressed, they felt a connection grow between them. It was being such an easy night that it seemed time had rewound three years back, when they were still a couple. When they dinner was over, they stood by the balustrade, observing the dark environment. Rachel turned around and slightly leaned her body on the balustrade and met gazed with him.

"That was a fantastic dinner." She said in total honesty. Ross smiled as he stood near her.

"I had a wonderful time tonight." he said softly, a cute dimple appeared on his left cheek as he smiled. Gosh, he looked so irresistible. Rachel thought. She took advantage of the brief silence to open her arms. Ross took the hint and gladly wrapped her in his arms. It had been so long since they had shared such an intimate embrace that it almost overwhelmed her.

"I kinda wish the night wasn't over." She admitted as she reluctantly moved away "I miss hanging out with you like this." She said, avoiding the word "date".

"Who said the night is over?" He said, Rachel looked up at him, eager to know what he had in mind. "wanna to go downstairs for some drinks?" She smiled.

"Absolutely" he grabbed her hand and they left the room.

….

After a little exhibition on the dance floor they returned to the bar, laughing loudly, for a second beer.

"I'm discovering the Fred Astaire in you tonight. Geller." She grabbed her beer and took a gulp of it.

"And you haven't seen anything yet. Oh! you know what we should do for the next dance?"

"What?"

"The Routine!" He exclaimed excitedly. Rachel burst out laughing.

"I don't think I've drunk enough for that."

"C'mon!

"No, that dance is embarrassing. Plus I don't know the steps."

"Yes, you do, I know Monica made you practise with her when I wasn't home."

"Still, it's a no."

"Please?" He begged, giving her that puppy dog look she hardly ever could resist. As she was about to repeat her "no." Ross began to tickle her sides, making her twist and laugh uncontrollably.

"Ross stop!"

"No until you say yes."

"That will never happen!" she said between giggles. She quickly grabbed his wrists and managed to stop him. However, his hands remained in her waist, and he smiled down at her. The sudden silence and his intense stare made her heart race, anticipating something wonderful.

"Ross? Ross Geller?" a female voice interrupted them. So close.

"Yes? Oh my god, Ally?" He exclaimed utterly surprised to find a familiar face in that remote place. He dropped his hands back to his side. "What are you doing here?" Rachel eyed the strange woman, trying to conceal the abrupt annoyance she felt towards her for having ruined their moment.

"I'm in town for a conference, What are you doing here?" she asked, in equal surprise.

"It's hard to explain…let's say I'm on vacation." He said in a chuckle, glimpsing at Rachel. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since…" He trailed off.

"Since your wedding actually, how is Carol? I haven't seen her in so long."

"She is fine…although we are divorce now."

"oh…" Rachel frowned, perceiving a hint of interest in her eyes which she did not like at all. She cleared her throat loudly, calling for some attention.

"Oh, sorry. Ally this is my friend Rachel. Rachel this is Ally, we studied together back in college."

"Nice to meet you." Rachel shook hands with the woman, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Nice to meet you too." She said politely before returning to Ross. "So, what happened between Carol and you?" She asked with interest.

"Long story short…" Ross began. Rachel observed quietly how they engaged in a conversation. She watched Ross, he suddenly seemed oblivious to her presence and that provoked an awful sensation in her body. She cleared her throat.

"Ross, sorry to interrupt, I…I think I'm gonna go upstairs…I don't feel quite well." She rubbed her stomach, pretending to be sick. Ross looked at her concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"My stomach is bothering me, I had too much lobster…" she tried to say as casually as possible. "I need to get some sleep."

"I'll go with you." he stated right away.

"Oh no! you stay here, it seems you guys have a lot to talk about, I don't want to spoil your night. Please stay." She almost begged, not sure why.

"Are you sure? Are you gonna be okay?"

"I am sure, don't worry. I'll see you later."

"Okay" He said softly before kissing her cheek sweetly. He resumed his conversation with Ally. Her night was definitely over.

She quickly took off her dress, and got into her sweat shorts and a baggy t-shirt. She pulled her hair up in a high ponytail and got into bed. She crossed her arms in frustration. Why was it that every time things started to go well, there was something that ruined it for her?

After some thinking, she accepted that this unexpected encounter had been a sign to let her know getting involved with Ross was not a good idea.

She was reading a book when twenty minutes later Ross appeared through the door. Her face lighted up automatically.

"Hi." He said as he neared the huge bed. "I brought you camomile tea."

"Why?"

"For your stomach…"

"Oh, right. Thanks!" she grabbed the cup from his hands and placed it on the bedside table. Ross took seat in front of her on the bed.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah…Why did you come up so early, anyway?"

"I got bored without you down there." His words made her feel happy.

"And what about your friend from college?"

"Honestly…I couldn't care less about her." her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well, it seemed like the complete opposite to me, you appeared to be awestruck by her…I mean, you almost forgot I was there." She said in a fake chuckle. Ross smiled slightly. He looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes.

"If I'm totally honest with you…I was doing that because I was kind of hoping you would…jump in and be all jealous Rachel like last time." A lump formed in her throat, which she soon gulped, wondering if he meant what she thought he meant by those words.

"Why?" she asked, almost inaudible. Ross shrugged his shoulders, and the answer was there in his eyes. Rachel bit her lip, hearing her heart beating faster than ever. She placed her hands on both sides of his face and pulled him down for a kiss, a fervent kiss she had been wanting to give him all night long.


End file.
